The internet is now such a huge part of every day life, and it is easy to forget how much we rely on it.
One aspect of our internet usage involves websites, and websites need domain names.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control within the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System (DNS), and any name registered in the DNS is a domain name. Domain names are used in various networking contexts and application-specific naming and addressing purposes. In general, a domain name represents an Internet Protocol (IP) resource, such as a personal computer used to access the Internet, a server computer hosting a website, or the website itself or any other service communicated via the Internet. In layman's terms, the domain name is the part of the website URL that you enter, for examnple, Cosmic's is cosmic.org.uk.
Why should I register one for myself or my children?
There are a number of reasons why registering a domain name for yourself and your children is a good idea.
Curriculum vitae
Your curriculum vitae - also known as your CV - plays a big part in your efforts to seal a new job. Traditionally, this would be something that you would print and hand to an employer, or even send as an e-mail or through the postal service. However, it is becoming increasingly more common for people with web development knowledge to create a CV and portfolio on the web, in the form of a website. Not only is this an environmentally-friendly option due to the removal of printing, but it also showcases your technical capabilities and can be a great way to display your work on a digital platform. This can be especially beneficial in roles where you would be required to use your technical knowledge - web design and development would be a prime example of this.
A great example of this working was an advertising campaign set up by Adam Pacitti, a university graduate in 2012. Adam set up the website www.employadam.com and purchased a billboard advertising this to drive visitors to it. The billboard contained the message "I spent my last £500 on this billboard. Please give me a job". His efforts garnered national media coverage and in turn brought a lot of traffic to his website.
According to Adam, he got "around sixty solid job offers after launching the Employ Adam campaign". Shortly after, he accepted an offer and then commissioned the following billboard:
This is just one of many cases that prove a website can help in job hunting. This can be a great asset for a relatively low price, and even if you're not planning on changing your job, picking up a domain name for your children for these reasons is certainly a good idea as the takeup of this method is likely to rise drastically.
Brand identity and security
Registering your name and your children's names as a domain name is also great for securing your identity online. While you may not necessarily want a website, registering the name before anyone else can prevent someone misusing the name or simply buying it to sell on to someone for a large profit. You could even use the domain name for your own personalised e-mail addresses such as me@joebloggs.com, or even a family e-mail network such as john@smith.com and mary@smith.com.
What do I need to consider?
You will need to think about what domain names you want to register - the best possible method would be for you to register your full name as a domain name, i.e. josephcollins.com as well as just your surname, i.e. boateng.com.
However, in some cases you will find that these have already been registered by someone else. This is more likely to happen if you have a 'common' name such as Smith, Jones or Taylor. This is because there will likely be many other people with your surname. For example, one of Cosmic's web developers has the surname 'Wong' which is very popular in China, whereas another of Cosmic' staff members has the surname 'Dabrowiecki', which is not so common and would therefore be easier for him to obtain domain names for both full name and just surname.
How can I register these domain names?
If you wish to register some domain names to protect your identity online, feel free to contact Cosmic's web and tech teams to discuss the details. We can provide you with simple domain name hosting, e-mail hosting or even the setup of simple one-page websites, portfolio websites, blogs or fully-fledged company websites.
Give us a call on 0845 094 6108 or e-mail us via info@cosmic.org.uk and we'll be more than happy to help.